


run through my veins and fill my lungs

by littlefaerielights



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bev just loves her boys so much, Beverly Marsh Knows Everything, F/M, Losers Club (IT) Friendship, M/M, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, also georgie is alive, because fuck pennywise, that's the best tag i've ever seen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 15:18:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlefaerielights/pseuds/littlefaerielights
Summary: Beverly Marsh found out very young that it was very possible to fall in love with your friends.





	1. Bev

Beverly Marsh found out very young that it was very possible to fall in love with your friends.

She fell in love with the way jokes and Voices easily fell from Richie’s lips and how his laughter filled heavy silences. His hands were warm and calloused and he knew how to put her broken pieces back together. She fell in love with the smell of smoke and sugar, Hawaiian shirts, and casual affection. Richie was smudged black eyeliner and chipped black nail polish and a mess of curls that tangled around her fingers. His heart was too big for his body and so fucking beautiful. She fell in love with dorky glasses and freckles. Richie was hers and she was his.

She fell in love with the way Eddie wrapped her arms in bandages and how soft his eyes were as he cared for her. His fingers were careful and nimble. He was brave and showed her there was bravery in being soft. She fell in love with pastel sweaters and overalls, the smell of strawberries and peppermint, and sweet chaste kisses. Eddie wasn’t afraid to fight, wasn’t afraid to defend his friends. She fell in love with bruised knuckles and bandaids and scraped knees. Eddie was hers and she was his.

She fell in love with the way poetry flowed from Ben’s fingertips like a fountain and how they fell from his lips like water. He was sweet like candy, soft like cotton, and brighter than the sun. He radiated kindness, the first person to treat her like a person. She fell in love with his eyes and the way they sparkled when they looked at her or any of their friends because she thinks he knows what it’s like to fall in love with your friends, too. Ben was warm and he listened, all sweet touches and long hugs. She fell in love with reading under blankets and flashlights, the smell of old books and sandalwood. He was loud laughter and gentle smiles. She fell in love with old hoodies and dirty converse. Ben was hers and she was his.

She fell in love with the way Stan watched the sky and how his eyes were always so sharp, so clear, like they saw everything. She felt like when he looked at her, he could see into her soul. He was quiet and observant, sarcastic and witty. He held the sun inside of his heart and it shone through his eyes. She fell in love with sleepy silences, clean rooms, and organized disasters. Stan was bitter like black coffee but sweet like chocolate, he was soft sweaters and hair product and whispered conversations. He was peanut butter sandwiches cut in triangles and apples cut in slices. She fell in love with the smell of fresh air and spearmint, and lingering touches and comfortable silences. Stan was hers and she was his.

She fell in love with the way fire burned behind Bill’s blue eyes and how his presence demanded to be known. He was quiet, but loud and constantly moving. He was ink-stained fingers and paint-splattered hands. His words were always careful and calculated and fell from his fingers like they were pouring out of his soul. She fell in love with the way Bill led them forward into the storm, straight backed and fearless. He was warm, like the fire burned through his veins. He was flannel shirts and old converse. He was the soundtrack of her summer with jumping off cliffs and riding bikes. She fell in love with the smell of paint and dirt, and late nights and loud music. Bill was hers and she was his.

She fell in love with the way Mike’s fingers calmed the itch under her skin and how his gentle eyes calmed her racing heart. He was both the sunlight and the starlight and galaxies swam in his eyes. His soul was made from stardust and his eyes were wise beyond their years. Mike was sweeter than sugar and warmer than the sun. He was the best out of all of them and she didn’t think they deserved him. She fell in love with the way his fingers felt in her hair when he braided it and how small she felt in his arms. He was the best kind of pillow with a strong heartbeat under her ear and a comforting arm around her. He was green grass and flower crowns, warm air and raindrops on hot skin. He was sunburn and bonfires, bare feet and laughter. She fell in love with the smell of campfires and sunlight, and farms and apple picking. Mike was hers and she was his.

Beverly Marsh never thought she would feel love as strong as she did, but the love her boys gave her ran through her veins and filled her lungs. She fell in love with them quickly and all at once.


	2. Richie

Bev is on Richie’s bed. Her head is hanging off of the edge and her feet resting on the wall. Richie is sprawled out on the floor in front of her, running his fingers through her hair with his lips wrapped around a cigarette. He rolls his head to the side and smiles at her.

“Bevvie, baby,” he murmurs and his voice is raspy. She raises her eyes to meet his and notices how smudged his eyeliner is. He looks like a raccoon and it’s fucking _adorable._ Sometimes Bev forgets how _beautiful_ Richie is. She rolls over on her stomach and reaches out to run her fingers through his mess of curls. It kind of looks like a halo around his pale face. He leans into her touch and his pretty eyes flutter shut. He takes a long drag off of his cigarette and Bev plucks it from between his lips, feeling the smoke wrap around her fingers. He pouts a little and watches as she takes a drag, blowing the smoke towards the open window. He watches the smoke leave her lips before taking the cigarette back. He holds it in between his fingers and returns his gaze to the ceiling, to the new glow in the dark stars Eddie put up last week. “He put them up in constellations, you know.” he says quietly and Bev smiles softly, rolling back to lay on her back. Richie nods. “It was so cute, honestly, because he was standing on the highest step of the ladder and _still_ standing on his tippy tip tip toes.” His voice is kind and gentle whenever he talks about Eddie and his eyes light up and if Bev didn’t already think he was beautiful…

“He _is_ quite the pipsqueak, isn’t he?” she teases and the smile she receives is blinding. He hums in agreement and takes one more lingering drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray between them. Bev picks up the bottle of wine they’d been nursing throughout the night and sits up back on her knees. She tilts her head back, allowing the rich liquid to coat her throat and warm her chest. She leans against the wall and watches Richie climbs back up on the bed and sits next to her. She passes it wordlessly to him and he takes it in one hand laces their fingers together with the other. She kisses his knuckles and leans back, lighting another cigarette. Bev thinks quiet moments in the dark with Richie are her favorite. The dark tapestry they tacked over his window two years ago is cracked a little, letting in just a small stream of pale, dusty sunlight. She thinks early morning light is the prettiest and it’s landing on Richie’s face, just under his eyes and lights up his freckles. She smiles and leans over and lightly presses her lips to as many of them as she can and giggles when she feels his cheeks warm under her lips.

“Bevvie, Bevvie, baby, what’re you doing?” he laughs, holding her wrists. She laughs and twists out of his grip before stealing the bottle of wine he had propped up between the pillows. She passes Richie the cigarette and takes a quick swig of wine before passing it off.

“Your freckles are just _really_ cute.” she says, tapping his nose. His cheeks redden a little more and it’s the sweetest thing.

Bev, after all, fell in love with freckles and tangled hair.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” he teases, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. She adjusts herself on his lap and pulls his hair back into a messy bun. His ears stick out a little now and it’s precious and Bev thinks maybe she fell in love with this, too.

“I am not drunk from half a bottle of wine and I’m insulted that you think I could be.” She says, flicking his forehead. Richie laughs and leans his head against her collarbone. Bev hums in content and runs her fingers down his spine. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with your friends?” she asks into his hair. He kisses her collarbone and looks at her.

“I fell in love with Eds, didn’t I?” he asks. Bev giggles and rolls her eyes.

“Oh, baby, that’s not what I meant.” She says, running her fingers over his freckles again and Richie nods with bright eyes.

“I know.” his voice is soft as he combs through her hair. He watches her, thinking about his answer. “I think… when your friends are your soulmates, it’s hard _not_ to kind of fall in love with them. Like, platonically. I don’t think people realize that’s a thing. To love people that much.” He pauses, twirling one of her curls around his long fingers. He watches the way it shines in the sunlight and smiles at her. “But I guess we got lucky, huh?” he kisses her wrist and she smiles back because this is how they’ve always been. Easy affection, easier than the rest. Soft kisses and hands tangled in hair, always cuddled so close together it was impossible to tell where Bev began and Richie ended.

“So lucky.” She agrees, running a hand down his face. He closes his eyes before tucking his head down again to rest against her collarbone again. Sometimes Bev thinks this is where she’s meant to be. She fell in love with warm hands that rest on her hips and cover her back. She feels Richie pressing soft kisses on her collarbone before turning and resting his cheek against her heart. Bev smiled and ran her fingers down his bare back, dancing down his spine, tracing the freckles on his shoulders. She can smell the smoke in his hair, the wine on his breath, and the sugar on his skin. He pulls her closer, craving her touch and her love because that’s what Richie lives off of. Always craving affection, always needing to be touched to cure the itch under his skin that Bev knows about all too well because she and Richie are all too similar. She thinks he owns apart of her soul that the other Losers can’t touch, that they truly are apart of each other in a way that the others aren’t.

“I love you, Bevvie.” He murmurs against her skin and Bev wants those words tattooed on her collarbone so she never has to forget them because they’re so fucking _sacred_. His hands tighten on her hips as he tries to pull her even closer and she can feel his blunt nails digging into the bare skin, but she doesn’t care. She kisses his hair.

“I love _you_ , Richie.” She says and she feels his smile against her neck and it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever felt. Bev tugs on his hair to get his attention and he pulls away, looking at her with glassy eyes. She runs her thumb over his freckles and he leans into her touch. Richie falls back against the wall and Bev leans against his chest, letting her hand drop and rest against his chest. They’re rarely this calm together and she wants to live in this moment forever. She hums when his fingers find their way to her hair, allowing her eyes to flutter shut. They sit in silence for so long, Bev thinks Richie’s fallen asleep and she wouldn’t have minded, honestly because they’ve been up all night, smoking and drinking and she’s comfortable. But then, Richie’s deep, raspy voice breaks the silence and vibrates under her cheek.

“I fell in love with the way you smell.” He admits quietly and Bev hides her smile in his chest. “It reminds me of home. Lavender, smoke, and vanilla.” He pauses, wrapping her hair around his fingers. She shivers when it falls back against her skin and he pulls her against him. “Then it was your hair.” He continues, tugging lightly on a curl. “Wild curls, like mine, but prettier. It looks like fire and it fits because _you’re_ fire.” He taps on her nose. “Next it was our easy affection.” She feels his lips brush over her forehead and smiles, pressing hers against his chest. “How easily I can kiss you, hug you, hold you, touch you, to know that you’re _there_ and that you love me because we’re like… _us._ ” He laces their fingers together and Bev kisses his knuckles. They don’t talk anymore after that because there’s nothing more to say. She listens to Richie light another cigarette as she closes her eyes and listens to the steady beat of his heart.

\---

Bev doesn’t know how long she was asleep, but the room is now flooded in muted light and she’s still on Richie’s lap, but there’s someone else on the bed. She sees familiar legs sitting a pillow, leaning against the headboard, sipping on a new bottle of wine. They talk in whispered voices.

“Hey, Eds,” Richie’s voice is sugar sweet and softer than cotton candy. Bev melts in his arms. She watches Eddie perk up at his voice and she bites back a smile. “Can you see Bevvie’s face?”

Eddie tilts his head down and moves her hair out of her face. He smiles widely when he sees she’s awake. “Good morning, Marshmallow.” He greets softly. Bev returns the smile and adjusts on Richie’s lap, wrapping the blanket around her. Eddie watches them with the stars sparkling in his eyes and the sun radiating from his smile and Bev thinks he’s never looked more beautiful.

“Good morning, Confetti.” She whispers, voice still scratchy from her nap and he rolls his eyes.

“Confetti’s better than Spaghetti.” He concedes, glancing at Richie and Bev feels his laughter, deep and genuine.

“You _love_ it, Spaghetti.” He teases and Eddie rolls his eyes.

“No, I love _you,_ not your shitty nicknames.” He says and Bev looks up at Richie. His eyes are wide and sparkling and she’s never seen him smile so wide.

“I love you, too, Eds.” He whispers and Bev thinks the words sound like a prayer. She wishes she could take this moment and press it in her books like she does with the flowers she picks with Mike and save it forever. Eddie’s cheeks are a pretty pink and she doesn’t think it’s from the wine.

Bev didn’t just fall in love with smoke and sugar or freckles and wild curls. She also fell in love with Richie’s raw emotion. He felt everything _too much_ and his eyes were so expressive.

She rests her head against Richie’s chest and he wraps his arms protectively around her. She smiles and looks at Eddie. “Why’re you here so early, Eddie?” she asks quietly and Eddie snorts.

“It’s like, one in the afternoon, Bevvie.” He laughs.

_“No.”_ she pulls back and looks at Richie. “You didn’t let me sleep for that long!”

“It wasn’t _that_ long, honestly. You fell asleep around seven and Eds got here at eight, brought me breakfast and everything like the good boyfriend he is.” He winks.

“How did you sit still for _seven_ hours?”

“Love, baby.” He smirks and Eddie snorts again. It’s a cute sound. “I’ve done it longer for Eds.”

Bev thinks people underestimate Richie sometimes. She frowns and kisses his chest before rolling off of his lap. He frowns at the loss of warmth but leans over and kisses her forehead. “You don’t drool like Eds, so you’re welcome to sleep on me anytime, Miss Marsh.” He says, running a finger along her jaw and Eddie kicks him.

“I do _not_ drool, asshole!”

“Hey, remember when you got your wisdom teeth out last year?” Richie quirks an eyebrow and Eddie slowly nods, frowning. “I made the mistake of wearing a white shirt to your house that night and even though you looked _so cute_ with your chipmunk cheeks full of gauze, you drooled blood on my shirt.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t count because mouth was full of fucking gauze, Richie!”

Richie laughs. “Okay, last week you were so tired, you fell asleep while we were watching the new Buzzfeed Unsolved and totally drooled all down my chest. Like, I mean, I don’t _care_ because I’ve had your spit on my dick before—“

_“Richard!”_

“It’s just so much fun to tease you about it.” He continues on, ignoring Eddie’s outburst. “Especially because you don’t believe me.”

Bev can’t stop laughing, doubled over in silent laughter and she can tell Eddie is trying to be mad, but failing. He glances at her before laughing himself and Richie smiles, pulling him to his lap and it’s so precious that Bev jumps up and grabs the polaroid they were messing around with last night and snaps a picture of them.

Bev hasn’t just fallen in love with her friends, she realizes, she’s also fallen in love with moments.


End file.
